SRI International Digest #25, Spring 2008

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IN THIS ISSUE

New Malware Threat Center Offers Tools and Daily Updates for Network Administrators

Voice-to-Database Search Technology Patents Offered

Ret. USAF Lieutenant General Leslie Kenne Joins SRI Board

Silicon Valley Visionary Paul Cook Awarded for Innovation Excellence

Lidia Sambucetti Leads Cancer Drug Discovery Programs

SRI and Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Partners Unveil Workforce Plan

SRI Evaluates Texas and Florida Education Reform Programs

Student in SRI Research Program Wins Prestigious Scholarship

Cafe Scientifique Silicon Valley at SRI

Meet Our People

SRI in the News


New Malware Threat Center Offers Tools and Daily Updates for Network Administrators

SRI has launched the Malware Threat Center, a website dedicated to fighting malicious software, or "malware", such as viruses, worms, and botnets, that constantly probe and infect systems around the world. The Center posts daily updates of firewall filters, malware-related domain name system (DNS) names, antivirus statistics, intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures, and malware binary data to help network administrators understand and defend against current and emerging computer security threats. SRI encourages network administrators and Internet Service Providers to take advantage of the valuable data to help protect the integrity of the systems that they support.

Voice-to-Database Search Technology Patents Offered

SRI is offering three new patents for its voice-to-database (V2DB) technology, which addresses methods for spoken search and retrieval of information from large databases using a speech recognizer. The methodology surpasses currently available technologies and can be applied in at least five broad and growing markets: online and mobile search, consumer electronics, telematics, customer call centers, and online commerce.

In the news: Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal

Ret. USAF Lieutenant General Leslie Kenne Joins SRI Board

Lieutenant General Leslie F. Kenne (U.S. Air Force, retired) has been elected to SRI's Board of Directors. Lt. Gen. Kenne is president of LK Associates, a consulting firm based in Fairfax, Virginia. When she retired after a 32-year career in the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Kenne was serving as deputy chief of staff for Warfighting Integration. She also served in three staff positions and directed three major programs at the Pentagon.

Silicon Valley Visionary Paul Cook Awarded for Innovation Excellence

Paul Cook is the 2008 recipient of SRI's Weldon B. "Hoot" Gibson Achievement Award. Mr. Cook is a renowned Silicon Valley leader. Among his many achievements, his founding of Raychem Corporation (now part of Tyco Electronics) pioneered an industry that today serves a multi-billion-dollar market. Mr. Cook, who also founded several other companies, was SRI's 48th employee and later served for many years on the SRI Board of Directors.

The Gibson Achievement Award recognizes outstanding contributions by an SRI employee that have had a noteworthy impact on the standard of living and on the peace and prosperity of society, and have added special luster to the reputation of SRI.

Lidia Sambucetti Leads Cancer Drug Discovery Programs

Lidia Sambucetti, Ph.D., recently joined SRI's Biosciences Division as senior director of cancer research. In her new role, Sambucetti directs cancer drug discovery efforts, collaborating with scientific and business development colleagues to advance the division's translational research programs. Dr. Sambucetti recently presented a case study on successfully converting an effective molecule into an approved drug at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2008.

SRI and Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Partners Unveil Workforce Plan

To complement its strong agriculture and manufacturing heritage in the new millennium, the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia region increasingly needs new skills in research and development, technology, and specialized production. SRI is partnering with the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and other regional stakeholders in the Shenandoah Valley 21st Century Workforce Transitions Project — an initiative to assist the region in preparing its workforce for future economic trends. The project recently kicked off with the unveiling of a report, A Master Plan for 21st Century Workforce Transitions in Shenandoah Valley (PDF).

In the news: Daily News Record (Harrisonburg, VA)

SRI Evaluates Texas and Florida Education Reform Programs

SRI is evaluating the Texas High School Project (THSP), a statewide initiative to improve high school education outcomes. THSP is a public-private initiative committed to increasing high school graduation and college enrollment rates throughout Texas. Graduation rates in Texas are approximately 80 percent. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Texas ninth-grade students have a one-third chance of enrolling in college by age 19.

SRI also recently announced two major contracts to evaluate educational reform efforts in Florida. Both projects will study the effectiveness of initiatives to improve student readiness and long-term academic success.

Student in SRI Research Program Wins Prestigious Scholarship

Anand Oza, a Princeton University senior who participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at SRI, has received a Winston Churchill Foundation scholarship to Cambridge University. Oza was an REU student in the Molecular Physics Laboratory (MPL) during Summer 2006. His research involved studies of ammonia ices relevant to Jupiter's atmosphere. At Cambridge, he will conduct graduate studies in applied mathematics.

Come to the Next Cafe Scientifique Silicon Valley at SRI

"Killing Pain with Killer Snails": A Discussion with Dr. George Miljanich, CEO, Airmid, Inc., Tuesday May 13 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA. This free event is open to the public.

Meet Our People

Tom Slanger Selected as AGU Fellow

Tom Slanger, a senior staff scientist in SRI's Molecular Physics Laboratory, has been selected as a fellow by the American Geophysical Union. He is also a 1997 SRI Fellow.

Meet... Geneva Haertel

Director of Assessment Research and Design, Center for Technology in Learning

Meet... John Brecht

Learning Technology Engineer, Center for Technology in Learning

SRI in the News

Port Technology International, March: Maritime and Port Security Focuses on Cutting Edge R&D (PDF)
This article describes a major new project under way at SRI's National Center for Maritime and Port Security in St. Petersburg, Florida. Applying a diversity of research and development capabilities, the Center will develop cutting-edge technologies to improve maritime and port security in areas that impact the nation's safety, security, and economy.

Menlo Park Almanac, April 9: Robot Revolution
This article tells the story of how robots are benignly invading SRI's neighborhood in Menlo Park, CA. Robot-related research and applications range from taking care of household chores to performing surgery on the battlefield. SRI's cutting-edge "Trauma Pod" and "da Vinci" surgical system are featured.

NJ Biz, February 14: Carlson Says U.S. Must Emphasize Innovation
SRI CEO Curt Carlson argues that the U.S. must work harder to cultivate innovators, and that the government should reconsider certain immigration policies. "Innovation is the only way for the West to get to wealth, prosperity, quality of life, sustainability and security."

Drug Discovery & Development, January 1: Recycling Existing Drugs
SRI researchers are repurposing drugs for new indications.

CONTACT US

For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact SRI Digest editor Marty Mallonee at marty.mallonee@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.

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